


Of Paths Not Taken

by Glyphhunter



Category: Tales of Xillia 2
Genre: M/M, Spoilers, for both games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-18
Updated: 2014-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-17 20:13:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2321831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glyphhunter/pseuds/Glyphhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All he needed was to sit down with a drink for a couple of hours and think about what he had to do next.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Paths Not Taken

Alvin didn't think he’d ever be able to wrap his head around fractured dimensions and the sheer enormity of how different everything could get while still being the same. Not to mention timelines. They could get dropped in the past and he had no doubt that they could get dropped into the future as well though that had yet to happen. Then there were the people. People he’d had regular interaction with in the prime dimension could be complete strangers in another. Or vice versa.

The Trigleph they’d entered was a brilliant example of the latter. Alvin couldn't count the number of people that had approached him after they had split to find the catalyst but he was sure it was daunting.

At first, it was one person and initially, he could brush their words off as nonsense. They spoke of a daughter he never had and how good of a student she was and if it had only been that one woman, he could’ve blamed her ailing mind (even though she looked younger than him) and left it at that. But it wasn't.

Every woman and their grandmother wanted to talk to him about this mysterious daughter he’d suddenly gained and they wouldn't stop asking about Jude while they were at it. That confused him the most. What did Jude have to do with his ‘daughter’?

It wasn't until he found his ‘daughter’ that everything started making sense. Of course, he didn't realize she was who they were talking about when she first ran up to him.

“Alvin!” He twisted on his heel, nearly slipping on the slick stone of the seahaven to find the voice that had called him. ‘Cause that was Elize. Elize didn’t come with them. Why was Elize there? He spotted her quickly enough and it was fractured Elize that was running around precariously stacked crates in order to get to him. Once again he marveled at the similar differences.

This Elize must’ve gotten new shoes or something ‘cause she seemed taller than usual. Never mind the outfit that was the same yet different at the same time. Maybe it was the jacket.

“Alvin,” she repeated as soon as she’d caught up as if he hadn’t heard her the first time, “have you seen Jude?”

And that was the number one question, wasn’t it?

“No, I can’t say I have. He’s still at work I think.” That was a safe bet, wasn’t it? A little white lie. He’d never actually seen the Jude she was looking for just the one he had crossed over with. Elize’s hands planted themselves on her hips and Alvin realized that Teepo wasn’t floating over her shoulder. Where the hell was Teepo?

“You’re lying.”

Ah. Damn.

“You’re going to tell me why you were lying and if it’s not good enough, I’m telling Jude right here, right now, and you know how he gets about that.” And he did know but he didn’t know how that was enough of a threat for fractured Alvin. It wasn’t like the kid was going to punch him.

There was suddenly a GHS in her hand, still pink but it was the look that caught him off guard. It was sleeker, thinner, and it didn’t have to be flipped open to access the keys. It suddenly occurred to him that this Elize was actually older and it wasn’t her shoes that made her taller.

He lunged for the device, earning an indignant ‘hey!’ as he brought it out of her reach and inspected the screen and the half written text to ‘Jude’. The number was the same and he absently wondered which Jude would actually receive the message if it was sent.

“You don’t get to do that, that cheating!” Elize was shouting at him as she clutched at his jacket and followed him as he twisted around in a valiant attempt to get her GHS back. He shot her a look out of the corner of his eye, causing her to pause and he used the moment to tuck the GHS away inside his jacket.

“Come with me,” he told her and started back towards the park where they had agreed to meet. Elize sputtered behind him before he heard her heeled boots clicking on the cobblestones.

“Alvin!” she shouted as she quickly caught up and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. He used the action to take her by the wrist and pull her along. “Did you get into trouble again?” She asked and he had to smirk.

“You know me,” he drawled over his shoulder, “I’m always in trouble. But seriously,” the smirk dropped and he knew Elize could sense the weight of his next words, “follow me and don’t say anything to Jude.” She bit her lip but nodded all the same.

Passing back the way he had come was quicker but even more illuminating about the situation with fractured Alvin and his daughter. Because it was Elize. Elize was the daughter everyone was commenting on and he questioned every deity, real and false, how that came to be. And he still didn’t know how Jude added to the equation.

Fortunately, his Jude had yet to make it back to the park by the time they arrived though Ludger and Elle had and were entertaining themselves by the swing set. Ludger noticed them first, his eyes widening in surprise as he stood from his crouch. Elle was quick to notice after that and jumped to her feet with a finger pointed straight at Elize.

“What are you doing here?” she exclaimed as Ludger pushed her hand back to her side. She puffed her cheeks out as she turned to him but kept her arm down as she looked at Elize again.

“I was a bit strapped for options,” Alvin admitted with a shrug and took out the confiscated GHS, “check this out.” He tossed it over much to Elize’s irritation and Ludger caught it and examined it with raised eyebrows. “Neat, huh? I thought these were still in development.” Elize made a startled sound next to him as Ludger nodded and Elle stood on her toes to try and get a look at it. He leaned over to help and she used a finger to push the screen up and reveal the key pad.

“Also,” he added holding his hand out once Ludger was finished, “I received a lot of questions about our dear Jude.”

“So did we,” Ludger said as he stepped closer and handed it over. “A bit too many,” he added with a troubled frown and a sinking feeling washed over Alvin.

“You mean...” Ludger nodded and he sighed letting go of Elize to run a hand through his hair. This... was going to be hard, “Let’s just... hope it doesn’t come to that.” And he would hope as hard as he could though with the way their luck was running...

“Alvin? What’s going on?” Right. There was that too.

He took a deep breath and released it all in one big rush, “I’m not Alvin. Not the one you know at least.” At her wide eyes and slack jaw, he shrugged and shook his head, “I’m guessing he’s probably working right now. Hopefully somewhere that’s not here.” He did _not_ want to see another version of himself. Again.

“And Jude?” she asked just as the man in question appeared at her other side. Alvin gestured to him with his hand and she turned, gasping in shock. Jude just looked intrigued with a slight touch of dismay.

“This... could take some getting used to,” he sighed, having to look up to meet Elize’s gaze instead of down, “I take it we’re a couple years in the future, then?”

“F-future?!” Elize stuttered and Jude offered her an apologetic glance while Alvin held up her GHS.

“With fancy new tech and everything,” he gave it a wave then allowed Jude to take it, “what’s bothering me, though,” he continued, “is the lack of spyrites and everybody’s fascination with you.”

Jude nodded as he flipped the device between his hands, “I noticed that too. Nearly everyone I spoke to said something about how similar I looked to this world’s Jude Mathis.” He gave the GHS to Elize who quickly tucked it away, “But what really concerns me is the amount of mana in this world. Spyrix technology is at an all time high here yet this place is absolutely swimming in mana and I’ll bet anything that if we leave town, the highroads will be unrecognizable.”

Alvin and Ludger shared a wide eyed glance then Elle piped up between them.

“Who cares? Let’s just take care of the catalyst and go home, I’m worried about Milla!” She huffed and crossed her arms and Ludger sent a pleading look to the sky before he nodded.

“Agreed, kiddo,” Alvin sighed, “from the sounds of things, either this world's Jude or something around him is the catalyst. Think Helioborg is a good start?”

“Wait!” Elize shouted before Jude and Ludger could do anything more than nod, “someone needs to explain to me what the hell is going on before anyone goes anywhere! You’re not my Alvin and you’re not my Jude,” she said, pointing to the both of them, “and both of you are from the past where mana actually _exists_?!” Her eyes were wide with a glimmer of fear and every few words she’d take a step back, “Tell me, are you going to hurt _my_ Jude?”

Alvin hesitated, sharing a glance with Ludger and Jude. Elize took another step back and Alvin reached out, “Elize-“

“No!” she scrambled backwards with her arms up, clearly defensive as her eyes darted between him and Jude, “you’re not the man who adopted me and neither are you!” And she turned around and ran. All of them stared after her, too shocked to even think about chasing.

“Well, this complicates things a bit,” Alvin was the first to recover as he crossed his arms. Him and Jude?

“Did she just...” Ludger trailed off and Jude swallowed thickly as he turn back to face them again.

“I think she did,” he agreed, his cheeks dusted red.

“Aren’t we gonna go after her?” Elle questioned and Ludger shook his head.

“There’s no point now, she’s probably already telling the Jude of this world that we’re coming,” Alvin said and seconds later, Jude’s GHS chimed in his pocket. Well, that answered that question. “Don’t bother,” he waved as Jude pulled it out, “both of you have the same number.”

“Even still,” Jude insisted and flipped it open. It was a warning, just as Alvin had said but it also told them that the fractured Alvin was going to be alerted as well. Jude said so, and Alvin groaned.

“Perfect,” he ran a hand down his face, “we’re gonna have our work cut out for us.”

It didn’t take them very long to figure out which direction Elize had gone. A smooth lie from Alvin and they were quickly pointed towards the Torbalan Highroad. And, true to Jude’s words, the place was nearly unrecognizable. Trees lined the cliff face in thick clusters and there was a surprising amount of overgrown shrubbery that they had to navigate around. Not to mention the monsters were rather scarce.

“This is actually kind of freaky,” Alvin admitted about half way through after the third glimpse of the tail end of an enemy, “I don’t think I like this.” He held his weapons tight in a nervous grip, anxious for some type of familiarity.

“Don’t think too much on it,” Jude told him as Ludger shook his head from beside him, “when we get to Helioborg, I’ll be able to figure more of this out.” Alvin made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat but said nothing else. There was a beat of silence before Elle asked the one question Alvin did not want to think about.

“So what did that other Elize mean before she ran away?”

He cleared his throat as Jude sputtered behind him and Ludger coughed awkwardly. No one actually said anything though and it only served to make Elle annoyed. “She said that Alvin adopted her, right? That means that he’s her daddy instead of her original daddy, right?”

“Er, this dimension’s version of me, anyway,” Alvin pointed out.

“Okay. Then that makes Jude her other daddy if he adopted her too. So does that mean they live together and do things that mommies and daddies usually do?” Alvin looked over his shoulder at the high pitched whine that followed and found Jude with his face in his hands and the tips of his ears bright red.

“Jeez, kid, and I didn’t even have to say anything this time.” Jude glared at him between his fingers and he couldn’t stop the wolfish grin that stretched across his face.

He looped around, putting his gun away as he did so to sling an arm around Jude’s shoulders. He took the weight as he usually did with loosened shoulders and a gentle lean into his side. He also looked at him like he usually did as he leaned close and said, “It’d be just like linking, wouldn’t it?”

A sharp elbow dug into his side and he grunted, doubling over as Jude removed himself from Alvin’s arm and moved a few feet away. “Let’s just concentrate on what’s important, shall we?” he suggested as Alvin rubbed at his new sore spot, “like the other thing that Elize said.”

“You mean the mana thing?” Ludger questioned and Jude nodded.

“She was surprised that we considered mana real,” he pointed out, “as if it wasn’t a fact of life but a concept in fiction.”

“So, what, nobody here has a manalobe?” Alvin put in, sounding a bit winded as he straightened up.

“That might be the case,” Jude confirmed as he adjusted his weight to one foot, “and with the world having developed without the knowledge of spirits, spirit fossils may just be viewed as pretty stones.”

“Which means what they’re using isn’t spyrix,” Alvin finished.

“What are they using then?” Ludger asked as he crossed his arms and Jude shook his head.

“I don’t know but it clearly works. It just makes me wonder, if spyrites aren’t even a concept here, what is it that’s making this version of me so famous? It can’t be just my supposed relation to you,” his brow furrowed in slight confusion and Alvin had to pause in thought.

“That’s a very good question,” he said when he couldn’t come up with anything. There wasn’t much conversation after that with them all contemplating the circumstances of the dimension. Monsters remained scarce and they reached Helioborg in short order.

The fortress looked the same as it always had, imposing, though the outer walls were covered in encroaching vines. To Alvin, it made the place all the more chilling. Once they were inside, however, he appreciated the familiarity just for the sake of it. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to that amount of green in Elympios.

“Let’s find a room so Jude can figure out how this world ticks, yeah?” he suggested after putting his weapons away, looking to Ludger who agreed with a nod.

“Thanks,” Jude smiled and they entered the main facility with only a single, if slightly confused, glance from the guards. They entered the first room that was open to them, one that seemed to be unlocked no matter the world, Alvin noticed.

“Here we go,” Jude was immediately across the room and prying off a maintenance panel with deft fingers from one of the many machines that lined the room. The rest of them stood by the door and for a moment, Alvin felt like a moron for just standing around while Jude fiddled with the fancy tech.

“What do you think these things do?” Ludger wondered and Alvin’s mood dropped another notch. He felt like a damned high school sports nut.

“I have no idea.”

“Amazing,” Jude breathed, letting the panel clatter to the floor once he finally got it off and leaned closer. Alvin’s eyes widened in surprise. In every machine he’d seen, the spyrix casing was obvious but this... If he could see Jude’s eyes, Alvin would swear they were sparkling. Inside was an organized mass of circuitry and there was no sign of a spyrix casing anywhere.

“This is absolutely amazing! They found an alternate power source entirely independent of the spirit population. Just think,” he turned to them and yes, Jude’s eyes were indeed sparkling, “what if we brought this back?”

“Whoa, there,” Alvin brought up his hands, hating himself for having to kill his excitement, “slow down there for a moment. What the people have here is after years and years of research. Are you really willing to give up your spyrite research for this when you’re so close?” Jude’s face dropped in disappointment as he turned back around.

“What would the world have become is we had developed this and spirit artes?” he wondered softly, this tone wistful.

“Don’t think too much on it,” Alvin advised, crossing the room to rest a hand on his shoulder, “c’mon.”

“Right,” Jude nodded, casting one more glance for a world that could’ve been into the machine before he replaced the panel. “Let’s find the catalyst.”

\--

Two people met them at the doors to the research wing. Fractured Elize and Fractured Alvin. Alvin grimaced; exactly what he didn’t want. The older man was already glaring when they rounded the corner and he spoke before any of them knew what to say.

“I know what you’re looking for and I’m only taking two people there. Him,” he pointed to Ludger, “and one other. Choose.” Alvin’s heart thudded in his chest. Ludger and one other to see the other Jude, the holder of the catalyst or the catalyst itself. He opened his mouth.

“I’ll go.” Jude stepped forward. His breath froze in his chest.

“Are you sure?” Ludger asked. Are you sure you want to be part of the hand that kills you? The question whirled in Alvin’s mind as he remembered his own experience in fighting himself. It was something he wished Jude would never know.

“I’m sure,” Jude nodded, full of determination and Alvin wanted to... wanted to...

He didn’t know what he wanted but he knew it wasn’t this.

“I’m going too,” Elle said with a raised arm before she pointed to Ludger, “where ever he goes, I go.” The other Alvin stared at her with narrowed eyes but it wasn’t enough to make her back down. She just grabbed the side of Ludger’s pants and solidly attached herself to him.

“Fine,” he allowed and something about how his eyes flickered to him made Alvin think the man wasn’t all too upset about the outcome. “You will stay here and wait,” he was told before everyone else was directed into the building, even Elize. With one last glance over his shoulder, the other Alvin shut the door and he was left alone in the wind that suddenly seemed very cold.

If that wasn’t a clear sign to disobey, then he was a flower. He didn’t even leave a guard. Alvin managed to wait a full minute before he followed. It turned out that yes; this dimension’s Alvin was as much of a liar as he was. At least Jude didn’t have to actually face himself.

Alvin found him in the room just passed the lift, clearly waiting for him in particular. Gold eyes pinned him as soon as he entered and with them nearly level with his own, the effect was all the more unnerving. He never wanted his Jude to look at him like that. Like he never really mattered and never would. He gritted his teeth and pulled out his gun and that was all the other man needed.

He was across the room in a flash and Alvin brought his sword around in time to block the fist that would’ve surely cracked his jaw. He sidestepped the next attack and raised his gun, aiming for the man’s right shoulder. The shot went wide and he received a wicked kick to his left kidney. Snap pivot was in full effect it seemed.

The next few moments was a frenzied blur of attempted strikes and painful retaliation and Alvin grimly realized that this Jude was literally running circles around him and it was all he could do to keep up. He wouldn’t stay in one spot for even a second and Alvin could already feel his lungs burning from the exertion.

He managed to get a lucky shot that cut across his opponent’s face and for a split second, he remembered his Jude back in Hamil on the opposite end of his gun with his dead eyes that looked remarkably similar to the indifference he faced and he hesitated. Unfortunately, the man had no qualms about taking an open opportunity even if Alvin looked like his partner.

The left hook sent him stumbling backwards and stars bloomed in his vision. Then his hands were suddenly empty and he leaned against the wall before his feet could fall out from under him. He pressed a hand against his jaw and shook his head in an attempt to clear his vision though it only served to make him dizzier.

When he stopped reeling enough to face his opponent again, he found him still. The man was looking at him with calculating eyes and his hands had returned to his sides. Alvin took a calming breath and removed his hand from his jaw only to find his palm streaked with blood. He tested the spot with his fingers and he flinched at the unexpected sting.

“You are the man I fell in love with.”

His head jerked up and instead of the cold indifference he’d been face with since he entered the room, the familiar warm smile characteristic to his Jude greeted him. He swallowed thickly, for once at a loss for something to say. The man’s arms came up again and Alvin took a reflexive step back before he recognized the waves of Jude’s Healer washing over the both of them.

“W-what?” _How did-_ “I thought-”

“I am artificial,” he admitted, letting his hands fall again and Alvin choked when he notice the black that was slowly creeping over him, “I was created after the loss of Derrick and Ellen Mathis’ son and I am the only being capable of tapping into the mana of this world.” He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, red had taken over the burning amber.

“Your friend will have realized by now that Alvin lied,” he was saying though Alvin wished that he’d stop talking altogether, “I don’t have much time left. Tell me, do you care for your Jude Mathis?”

His breath caught for a moment before he burst out, “What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I do!” Of course he cared but what scared him was that he no longer knew how deep that affection ran. Alvin stepped forward, wanting to touch him, to make sure he stayed but it wasn’t enough to bring him within reach.

Jude smiled, “Then that will be enough. You are the man I fell in love with,” he repeated, “and you always will be, no matter the incarnation.”

Then the door slammed open behind him and in a flurry of movement that he could barely keep up with, Ludger was leaping over his head already in his Chromatus and his lance prepped to throw. There was a gunshot but the lance was already moving, aimed straight for the fractured Jude Mathis. Alvin blinked and suddenly everything was still.

It took him a moment but he eventually realized that he was still staring at the place where Jude used to be. The man had staggered back and was kneeling on the ground, still smiling through the pained grimace and behind him, Alvin heard a strangled sob. Ludger’s lance had pierced through and the end was protruding sickeningly from his back. On the tip, the black gears of the catalyst spun tauntingly until they eventually slowed to a stop and shattered.

The world dissolved around them, the colours fading to a dizzying blur of light and shadow until he was staring at the walls of Helioborg Fortress once again. He let out a shaky breath and bent to pick up his gun from the floor, determinedly not looking at where the other Jude had been even though there would’ve been no trace of him. He dropped it on the first attempt and fumbled it on the second. It took him a third try for him to finally put it away.

“Alvin?” Ludger’s voice startled him enough that he was sure that he would’ve dropped his gun again if he’d actually been holding it. He met the man’s concerned gaze with wide eyes then had to look away.

“Let’s just... find Jude and get out of here,” he said, turning towards the door, “I need... I need to think.” He nearly walked into the door itself trying to go through and he knew Ludger was growing increasingly worried behind him. But really, all he needed was to sit down with a drink for a couple of hours and think about what he had to do next even though he felt like he was knocked in the head with a two-by-four. Though with the way Jude hit, there wasn’t much of a difference.

And then Jude was in front of him. His Jude that wasn’t nearly twenty years old. His Jude that didn’t die and needed to be replaced. His Jude that had no chance of being killed by Ludger’s hand. He reached out and took him by the shoulders, ignoring the fact that he was trying to talk to him, and pulled him to his chest.

“What’s this all about, Alvin?” he heard him say with a tremor of fear in his voice and he realized that he actually needed to say something before the kid took matters into his own hands.

He shook his head as Jude laid his hands on his arms and he paused, waiting for him to speak. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he said, “I just... need to hold you for a moment.”

“Do you promise?” Fingers gripped at his sleeves and he nodded. As if he’d break another promise to Jude. “Alright.”

Some days later, (maybe a week, maybe even two, Alvin couldn’t be sure) he would remember that moment and he would remember that thought as Ludger’s weapons turned against them and the image of fractured Jude would overlay itself on top of his Jude as the lance pierced through him too. He would remember that feeling of Jude in his arms and the promise he made as he reached futilely across the cobblestone in Marksburg. He would curse himself for another promise broken and curse the world that they never even got a chance.


End file.
